Do You Have Authentic Conversations On A Regular Basis?

I have noticed that there is a lack of authentic conversations, especially in professional settings. 

People think that showing their true selves is unprofessional and their peers will not respect them.

I believe that the opposite is true, 

if you open yourself up you will gain the respect of your peers and the loyalty of your clients.

I grabbed lunch with Christina Marie a few weeks ago when we were connected by our mutual friend, Dalton O'Brien. He mentioned that we had some common interests and that she was a cool person, so we set it up without giving it much thought.

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but when we sat down we instantly hit it off. We shared details about each other’s backstory, passions, and projects. ?

I really enjoyed the conversation with Christina because we both came into it as perfect strangers aside from what little we knew about one another from Dalton and social media (which isn’t always telling the whole truth).

The phones were turned upside down.

There was also NO small talk about the weather or whatever else that’s usually really awkward and makes me feel like I haven’t showered in a week.

It was a lively and REAL discussion, between two very different human beings, just being themselves sharing REAL thoughts and ideas with absolutely no endgame in mind. ?

I left feeling very energized and appreciative of the interaction and new friendship. ?

When I think about it, many of the conversations I have outside of good friends, family, and people I do business with never really go beyond a “hey, “how are you”(everyone’s always ‘fine’) “where’s the nearest Starbucks?” or a thank you” ?

With over 300 million people in America, and a country that’s more polarized than ever, it makes me wonder sometimes how many genuine people we walk by on a daily basis that we miss out on having a REAL shared human experience with. ?

How much more energy and appreciation could we experience in our days? ?

I’m making a priority to connect more of my friends/acquaintances with one another and to sit down with people I get put in touch with.

Do you accept the challenge of doing the same within your network?